Welcome to Hounslow Film Office

Hounslow Film Office provides a one-stop service for managing filming and photography on behalf of the council. All professional filming and photography on council land or public roads is licensed by us. Our work is guided by the principles of the London Filming Partnership. Hounslow is a thriving, vibrant borough in a great world city. We make sure film makers respect the people who live and work here. We also negotiate to ensure the community benefits fully from the advantages of filming here.

Our work includes arranging Q&A sessions where residents meet filmmakers; direct donations to community groups and causes; and securing training, work placements and jobs for local people. We collect location fees for the council.
We liaise across council departments such as Highways, Parking, Housing and Leisure. We work with the Metropolitan Police Film Unit, resident associations and trader associations to ensure all filming is managed safely and smoothly.

Yes they can, if you are in a public place. - Paparazzi film and photograph people without their consent all the time. However, any respectable film company will generally prefer to obtain consent. Film London provide more guidance in their document "Filming People"

If there are legitimate reasons why the filming should not proceed, then the council and the film company will want to know what these reasons are, and will probably agree and alter their plans. However, the reason must be a legitimate reason, not just because a residents does not want it to happen. A legitimate reason may be because of the frequency of filming taking place.

Filmmakers may not block access to your house or business without your permission. Neither may they block a pavement or highway while it is in use, although in some cases we may close off an area for them. If we think a planned shoot is likely to cause an obstruction, we make sure that the filmmakers come to an agreement in advance with anyone who might be affected for example through letters and Q&A sessions with local associations of residents or traders. We can include any agreed conditions in the license and can take deposits from the filmmakers. The deposits are usually donated to local causes if the conditions are breached. We also have a 24 hour emergency phone number for you to call us if you are being disturbed without your permission, and we will immediately contact or visit the set to resolve the situation. If a filmmaker or their crew does not act responsibly, it will count against them in future applications to film.

Some filming activities make noise and bright light. The majority of filming is only licensed between 7am and 11pm to minimise the disturbance this might cause. If we think a planned shoot is likely to cause significant disturbance, we make sure that the filmmakers come to an agreement in advance with people in the neighbourhood for example through letters and Q&A sessions with local associations of residents or traders. We can include any agreed conditions in the license and can take deposits from the filmmakers. The deposits may be donated to local causes if the conditions are breached. We also have a 24 hour emergency phone number for you to call us if you are being disturbed, and we will immediately contact or visit the set to resolve the situation. If a filmmaker does not act responsibly, it will count against them in future applications to film.

We expect film crews to film and act responsibly, and consider any rude or antisocial behaviour to be unacceptable. Before most shoots filmmakers will give their contact details to local people, so if a member of the film crew is rude or antisocial you can contact the filmmaker directly. If this does not resolve the situation, you can call us on our 24 hour emergency phone number and we will immediately contact or visit the set to resolve the situation. If a filmmaker or their crew does not act responsibly, it will count against them in future applications to film.

There is no specific right under English law to not be filmed in public but you do have legal rights to privacy and data protection which might be violated by filming under certain circumstances. FilmFixer supports Film London's guidance that all filmmakers should have your permission if you appear on film, especially if you feature significantly. However, there are situations when you might be filmed 'incidentally' and it is not reasonably possible for the filmmaker to get your permission (for example if you are one of a large crowd in public). In these cases, we expect filmmakers to make people aware (for example with 'filming in progress' signs). If you have spoken to the filmmaker and you believe that they are not living up to these expectations, we also have a 24 hour emergency phone number for you to call us on and we will immediately contact or visit the set to resolve the situation. If a filmmaker does not act responsibly, it will count against them in future applications to film. For more details on your legal position, have a look at Film London's guidelines.

Generally speaking you have no legal right to prevent your property being filmed (there some are exceptions). Nonetheless, we expect filmmakers to behave responsibly and to react positively to reasonable requests from property owners. If you have spoken to the filmmaker and you feel that the film crew are not living up to these expectations, we have a 24 hour emergency phone number for you to call us on and we will immediately contact or visit the set to resolve the situation. If a filmmaker does not act responsibly, it will count against them in future applications to film. For more details on your legal position, have a look at Film London's guidelines.

Probably it is a letter to notify you about planned filming in your neighbourhood. The letter should include the contact details of the filmmaker who can answer any questions you have about the filming.

Our main priority is to protect the interests of the community during filming, which means making sure this doesn't happen. We monitor the amount of filming throughout the borough, as well as feedback from the community, to see if any neighbourhoods are being over-used. We often use our local knowledge to suggest alternative locations to make sure that filming is as evenly distributed as possible.

Filming is a legitimate activity, and film makers are allowed to conduct their business in public places. UK law does not prohibit filming (anyone can take a photo or video wherever they like, though the authorities have a right to ask what the filming is for, if they are suspicious, under terrorism prevention laws).

If FilmFixer thinks that a proposed shoot might disrupt nearby businesses, we expect the filmmaker to contact the owners in advance of the shoot to reach an agreement for example through letters and Q&A sessions with associations of residents and traders. If you believe your business is suffering and you did not agree to the filming, then please contact us (using our 24 hour emergency phone number if necessary).

We cannot stop it happening because it is on private property. However, we are usually able to use our influence to encourage filmmakers to act responsibly even when on private property, so do contact us (using out 24 hour emergency number if necessary) if you are concerned about this and we will do what we can. Of course, the usual rules about unreasonable noise or nuisance still apply (for example if a neighbour is having a loud party), so if you think they are breaking these rules then you can contact your Council.

Parking is often needed for support and technical vehicles during filming. We proactively explore with the council ways to minimise the impact of suspending bays. Resident and Business Permits do not guarantee the holder a parking space, and the council has the right to suspend bays. When this is necessary for filming, we always give advance notice at the affected bays.

The production may need the bays to be empty, because they cannot have cars in shot, or because the unit is about to arrive. We encourage film makers to allow bays to return to service when they have finished with them.

No, this sort of filming would probably not need a licence. As a general rule, if your video involves less than five people, is not for commercial purposes and does not cause an obstruction or nuisance on public or council property, you do not need a licence.

You can charge the filmmakers a fee, which can be whatever you agree. If you ask us or a location agency to manage filming in the property for you, you will need to agree the fees with us or them in advance. To give you an idea, have a look at our fees and charges for filming on council or public property.

If you can prove that you were unaware that the bay was going to be suspended, you will not have to pay a penalty. The matter will be dealt with by council's parking appeals process. The council follow the same procedure if parking is suspended for any other reason, such as utility works. If you do receive a parking charge notice as a result of being unaware of a suspension, please contact us and we will endeavour to get it cancelled

FilmFixer expects responsible behaviour from filmmakers when they are filming people or private property, so please contact us if you are concerned about this. We enforce high standards in our client boroughs but you have no right under English law to prevent yourself or your property being filmed if the camera is on public property, although your legal rights to privacy and data protection might be violated by filming in certain circumstances. Please see our complaints section to find out more about this.

FilmFixer and filmmakers regularly consult with local resident associations and trader associations. These include but are not limited to formal Tenant and Resident Associations. The best way to be involved in these discussions is to join or create a local association like this and contact us if necessary so that we know about it. You are welcome to share any concerns about filming directly with FilmFixer via this website.

We encourage filmmakers to speak with the local community to reach agreement before filming. Often this agreement involves donations to local community spaces like parks or schools, or to local charities or local associations of residents or traders. Sometimes it can also involve opportunities for locals to be involved in the filming. Filming in your borough and London is also a source of revenue for the council and the government.

Suspending parking is sometimes unavoidable to make sure there is space for essential technical vehicles, or to keep roads clear for certain shots like period shots. Technical vehicles often need to be parked right next to the location for health and safety reasons, for example reducing the amount of electrical cables around the set.

Councils support the film industry, and are signatories to the Film London partnership agreement. Filming boosts the international profile of London as a dynamic and fascinating city. Many people make their living in the film industry so its good for employment. In general, film makers very welcome to work in the borough as long as the film makers abide by the Film London code of conduct.

FAQ’s Film Companies

Though there is no legal requirement to obtain permission to film on pavements, it is illegal to obstruct the pavement with your crew or equipment. To avoid any problems, we suggest you get a written film agreement stating the terms and conditions under which you may film and use the resulting footage for commercial purposes

Although we do not necessarily need to licence your filming, we do ask that you make us aware of your filming as we have a duty of care to ensure that productions have completed a sufficient residential consultation. If you require any parking or use of the public highway, you will need to apply as usual.

Our fees and charges vary depending on where you are filming. To find the Fees and Charges for the borough/location you want to film in please go to https://filmfixer.co.uk/apply-to-film/ and select the borough/location

A film agreement is not usually required for bona fide “news crews” filming on the public highway who are engaged in gathering content for broadcast news. The news crew must be in a possession of a press pass issued by the NUJ and ID provided by their employer. News crews wanting to film within council or privately owned property must obtain the permission of the property owner. A film agreement will be required.

You need to complete a parking suspension application which can be found at https://filmfixer.co.uk/apply-to-film. You also need to complete the filming application as this is where the parking is processed.

FilmFixer are happy to suggest locations within the borough which we believe will work for your brief. < a href="mailto:info@filmfixer.co.uk">Please email us with as much of the following as possible: A rough idea of your dates and timings An overview of your brief Any reference images you have The borough or geographical area you are looking in A rough idea of your budget Please make the subject of your email a brief description of what you are looking for e.g. ‘Tree-lined avenue’ or ‘Victorian theatre’ (NOT ‘Location idea’ or ‘Following up on our phonecall’) Please do also have a look at our locations library at www.filmfixer.co.uk and click locations search. If you find specific locations you like, do let us know in your email.

You still apply to FilmFixer who will then liaise with the relevant sports pitch/court for your booking. Some pitches/courts come with hire costs which need to paid on top of location fees and administration costs. FilmFixer will be able to advise of the costs following your application.

Google Maps provide a very helpful link which shows the different borough boundaries, please check this link before applying to film. Many boroughs have private property which the council cannot licence you to film on, FilmFixer will be able to advise if this is the case with you location following your application.

You will need to obtain police consent when you are filming with anything that looks like a weapon (knives, baseball bats etc), any replica or airsoft firearms, when you have actors in uniform, if you are filming with replica emergency vehicles, if your scenes could seen as a criminal or violent act, if you have real or perceived nudity or when there could be an issue with public safety due to your filming. The contact details for the MET Police Film Unit are:filmunit@met.police.uk 0203 054 5555 or 07768 055 260

Any filming which involves the employment of children (whether paid or not) requires approval from the relevant council’s education department. The licence must be issued by the council where the child lives, and not the borough where the filming is taking place.

If you are working on a large scale commercial, a TV drama or a Feature film, it is likely you will need to speak to Borough Film Officer who are listed on our contact us page. If you are a student, charity production, small scale filming enquiry or small scale commercial (and the shoot does not involve drones or other complex elements) you need to speak to a member of the coordinator team. Alternatively, please email info@filmfixer.co.uk and we will pass your enquiry onto the relevant member of staff who will then contact you.

Location fees are what the council charge for the use of an area for commercial filming purposes. Location fees are chargeable when your filming takes place in ANY of the following locations. Parks, green spaces, square, pedestrian areas, markets, interiors of buildings, leisure centres, swimming pools, estates, river side walkways and car parks. When filming on a public highway, you will not be charged a location fee, however you can expect administration costs along with other associated costs dependent on what you are doing and the equipment you are using. Please see our Fees and Lead in Times document which can be downloaded from www.filmapp.org

Contact information

24hr emergency phone: 07919 002 115Please only use this emergency contact number if you have concerns about filming taking place at the moment. If you need to apply for a film license please go to FilmApp.

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Contact Us

57-59 Great Suffolk St
London
SE1 0BB

+44(0)207 6200391

24-hour emergency: +44(0)7919 002115 (CALLS ONLY)

Company Information

Great Locations Make Great Films.
At FilmFixer we’re extremely passionate about filming, film locations and achieving great outcomes for both councils and local residents. We know that a well managed film location/shoot can have far reaching benefits across the film industry and entire communities and ensures a successful outcome for everyone.
Company number: 06785834